November 18, 2014

SEL Bakes: Salted Caramel Apple Pie

I have always wanted to learn how to bake a pie from scratch. No buying the pre made pie crust from the store. However, I must say the thought of making a homemade pie kind of scared me. Why? Because, I CANNOT bake. It's true, I once burnt up a hand mixer but we won't go there.

Baking this pie was on my November to-do list (Found Here). My husband and I wanted to do a test run before we bake this pie for our family to serve at Thanksgiving. 

This pie is simply delicious. It is a salted caramel apple pie. I found this recipe from a food blogger, Sally's Baking Addiction (CLICK FOR RECIPE). The recipe includes directions on how to make your own pie crust, filling and salted caramel sauce. I love the addition of the salted caramel sauce. It compliments the apples so well. 

Our pie turned out perfectly. The process is long, but it is completely worth it. I cannot wait to serve this too our family for Thanksgiving. 

This recipe is not my own, it was created by Sally's Baking Addiction  




November 16, 2014

Plaid on Plaid

What I am wearing: Plaid Hat | Southern Proper, Earrings | Tory Burch, Plaid Blanket Scarf | Target, Fur Vest | TJ Maxx, Chambray | TJ Maxx, Rose Gold Watch | Michael Kors, Gold Gem Bracelet | Target, Black Leggings | Target, Cream Sweater Boot Socks | TJ Maxx, Boots | TJ Maxx 

Plaid is clearly my favorite fall fashion staple, I own so much of it. My favorite plaid purchase of the season is this Southern Proper tartan hat. It compliments so many of my outfits and mixes great with other plaid. For instance I love how it pairs with my plaid blanket scarf. It is truly a fabulous fall look. 

Pairing plaid with fur is my ultimate go-to. Not only does fur keep you warm on chilly days, but it also creates the most perfect casual look.

What is your favorite way to style plaid? 



November 14, 2014

The Dot Collection


The 2014 Dot collection has made its way to Starbucks! |SHOP HERE| There are literally so many designs to choose from making it one hard decision. All of these mugs are under $20 and will make perfect gifts. 

I stopped by my local Starbucks as soon as I learned that the new collection had been release. As you can tell, I am slightly Starbucks obsessed. I picked up the buffalo plaid mug because let's face it, I am mad for plaid. Now drinking my coffee/lattes are that much more enjoyable.
Pictured: Starbucks Buffalo Plaid Mug | Target Plaid Blanket Scarf 

What is your favorite mug from the Dot Collection?

November 11, 2014

Viva La Jewels || Facebook Auction FAQ's

As a Viva La Jewels Rep, I am really excited about their first ever Facebook Sale. You will have the opportunity to purchase their fabulous products at amazingly low prices. You can also receive an additional 10% off of your purchase by using my code listed below. Now that's a sale! I am answering all of your questions regarding the sale so you can shop in confidence. If you happen to have additional questions that were not answered, please feel free to contact me. 
When does the auction begin?
There are two sales scheduled:
Tuesday: 9:00pm EST & Thursday: 9:00pm EST

How long does the sale last?
24 hours from the time it begins

How do I shop the Viva La Jewels Facebook Auction?
Here are the steps you should take in order shop:
1. In order to stay connected, like Viva La Jewels on Facebook.
2. Register in order to shop this amazing sale (Register Here).
3. Comment "SOLD" with you email address on the item you wish to purchase. 
4. Pay, you have 12 hours within receiving your invoice to do so or the item will be passed on.

When will my item ship?
Once your invoice has been paid, your order will be shipped. 

What items will be included in the sale?
There will be a total of 15 items for sale. Look for a post on my social media outlets for a sample of what will be included. 

How much are the items?
This is a complete surprise, however, I can tell you that the prices are extremely discounted. 

Are quantities limited?
YES! Be sure to pay your invoice within the 12 hours upon receiving it. 


For an additional 10% off of these sale prices, use code: southernervin

November 10, 2014

Meet a Blogger Monday || Featuring Morgan

For today's Meet a Blogger Monday, I had the privilege of interviewing a dear friend of mine. Morgan blogs at The Tennessee Life where her love for country music is showcased. Her blog features many interviews from great artists and is continuing to grow. If you are ever in search for new country artists to listen to, then I highly suggest visiting her blog.
THE INTERVIEW:
What is your occupation?
I graduated in May from Tennessee Tech University with my degree in elementary education. I am currently working with 20 Pre-K kiddos in the Maryville City school district. 
I also just received the honor of working for Florida Georgia Line’s Brian Kelley and his wife Brittney as a blogger for their soon to be released clothing line Tribe Kelley! It has been such an amazing opportunity already and I can’t wait to work even harder when the line comes out December 1st! I’ve never been one to say no to an adventure. And this adventure, well its just getting started.

Where is your hometown located and what do you love about it?
I live in a pretty small town in East Tennessee. Maryville is about 15 minutes from downtown Knoxville and right on the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains. It’s absolutely wonderful to live in a city environment but also have the great outdoors literally right in your back door. I live in a tiny little community where everyone knows everyone. I’ve grown to really admire the beauty of the south and my little hometown.

List any hobbies/talents you posses.
Anyone who knows me would answer this question correctly. My absolute favorite thing to do is attend concerts. I am a HUGE music junkie! I’m guilty of spending way too much money on albums and concert tickets. As far as talents go, it also involves music. I have the ability to kind of pick artist’s singles before they release them! I swear, it’s a gift!

How would you define your personal style?
If I had to describe my style in three words I would say classic, unique, and ever changing. Some days I will wake up and throw on a peplum skirt, plaid shirt, cardigan, and J. Crew flats. Other days, I’ll wear velvet bells, a basic white tee, and a printed kimono with lace-up motorcycle boots. I feel like I’m right on the edge of mixing preppy and boho. A lot of my new found ‘boho lovin vibes’ have come from being inspired by my boss B Cole and Tribe Kelley!

Tell me a little bit about your blog (e.g. name, genre, etc.)
My blog is called The Tennessee Life and it has evolved from a fashion blog to more of a southern lifestyle/music blog. If you went over to my blog you would mainly find posts about country music. I have interviewed over 30 country artists and I have about 20 more in the works for the next few weeks. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some people I never imagined would even know my name. Without my blog I wouldn’t have such cool friends! Haha

How did start blogging and how long have you been a blogger?
I started blogging about a year and a half ago. It started as a way for me to keep up with all my thoughts and ideas. It was more or less just a place for me to store things online that I thought I might like to remember later on or share with others. After about three months my blog kinda took off. Even though the success of my blog happened kinda overnight, I’ve learned things like this don’t happen by luck or by accident. They happen because I had a vision, a commitment, and a dream. I’m far more than what’s happened to me. I am what I’ve worked to become. 

How do you find inspiration for your blog?
I find new inspiration to blog EVERY SINGLE DAY. For me, inspiration occurs when I’m in the car, shopping in a store, or online browsing Soundcloud, iTunes, YouTube, Spotify, etc. Anywhere I go that has music playing in the background inspires me or gets me thinking. I am HUGE fan of The Highway on Sirus XM. This station features a lot of new artists and their music. I always find new talent I wish to interview.

What do you ultimately hope to accomplish through blogging?
My ultimate goal is to work hard, write about things I love, and inspire people enough to keep reading. Basically I never want to run out of things to post or share. I never want the music to stop. I know that sounds lame but it’s true. I hope I can continue to keep my readers interested with fun and entertaining interviews with some of country’s biggest names. To this point, I’ve worked with a bunch of new artists or artists on the rise. I hope my blog continues to grow in size and I can then move on to working with even bigger names. At the end of the day I’ve realized the things we are passionate about are not random, they are our calling. I just wanna do what I love to do.

What do you love most about country music?
Country music has a way of telling a story that I always seem to relate to. I used to only be fans of the actual artists singing the songs I heard on the radio but nowadays, I like to truly sit down and listen to the lyrics and think about the story or hidden message behind them. I have honestly grown to love and respect so many amazing songwriters in the last year alone. (Josh Osborne, Shane McAnally, Sam Hunt, etc) It’s one thing to sing a song. It’s totally different to write one.

List a few of your favorite lyrics
“It’s like I went out of style. It’s like I’m old news. You wanted to try me on like a temporary tattoo.” Disposable || Kelsea Ballerini
“Funny how a melody sounds like a memory.” Springsteen || Eric Church
 “Blame it all on my roots, I showed up in boots. And ruined your black tie affair.” Friends In Low Place || Garth Brooks
“I don’t wanna think about tomorrow. I don’t need anything money can buy. I don’t have to beg, steal, or borrow. I just wanna live until I die.” Live Until I Die || Clay Walker
 “It can happen so fast. Or a little bit late. Timing is everything.” Timing Is Everything || Garrett Hedlund
“My faith. Your love. Our freedom. I hold on.” I Hold On || Dierks Bentley
“I don’t wanna blow your phone up. I just wanna blow your mind. I don’t have to take your heart. I just wanna take your time.” Take Your Time || Sam Hunt
(Pretty much every line ever written by Kelsea Ballerini, Josh Kerr, Jason Duke, Ryan Griffin, Sam Hunt, & Ryan Bizarri can also be added to this list.)

What country song best defines you and why?
I feel as if I could never pick one song that defines me or my life completely. I relate in so many ways to so many different songs. If I HAD to pick one song though, it would be Dirt by Florida Georgia Line. No matter where I am or what I’m doing I always stop and just think whenever it comes on. It’s one of those songs that brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it.
But I will add this, I have an unlimited amount of “girl power” songs and a break-up playlist that could change lives! Lol

Which artist are you dying to meet/work with?

WORK WITH-
Cole Swindell, Raelynn, and Sam Hunt. Plus I feel like this might be totally predictable but I’m just gonna say it anyway: Florida Georgia Line. I would love to be able to share an interview with BK and Tyler and find out a little bit more about how this amazing journey they are on has brought them closer together.

MEET-
I’m not sure I could live with myself if I didn’t put Garth Brooks(and his wife Trisha Yearwood let’s just be real) at the top of my list. Meeting someone like him or George Strait would quite honestly be the coolest moment of my life. Good music doesn’t have an expiration date. Country music is like wine, it gets a little sweeter with age.
I also have this 90’s kid thing where I dream of meeting The Dixie Chicks, Clay Walker, and Mark Chesnut! Sorry I’m not sorry!

Out of the thirty artists that you’ve worked with, which stand out in your mind? Do you have a favorite?
I absolutely love all the artists I’ve worked with! Each one was so different and brought so many different things to the table, which reflected in their interviews. I am somewhat biased to my interviews with Chris Lane and Ryan Kinder. They were two of my very first interviews and I remember being so excited that they agreed to work with the random girl asking them for interviews for a tiny little blog.

I also loved being able to showcase the talents of some of my friends by working with Kelsea Ballerini, Josh Kerr, and TJ Hamilton. They have so much talent and are amazing singers, songwriters, and people. Dylan Scott has been my favorite new male artist for a little over a year so being able to share an interview with him was pretty awesome…even if it did take me going all the way to Ruston to prove my love for his music! Ha!

I am also really excited to be working with two pretty big country stars on reviews and interviews right now! They have been incredible people to get to know personally, and I cannot wait to share what I’ve learned about them soon on The Tennessee Life!

Who are your favorite artists at the moment?
Thomas Rhett, Brett Eldredge, Kelsea Ballerini, Jackie Lee, Sam Hunt, Cole Swindell, Dustin Lynch, Chase Rice, Dylan Scott, Dan + Shay, Raelynn, Frankie Ballard, Lindsay Ell….seriously, I could go on all day!

November 4, 2014

November || To Accomplish

It's hard to believe that November has already approached us. Where does the time go? November is the time of year when things begin to get a little hectic. For me, it begins with papers and exams coming up. For most, it's the stress of prepping for the holidays. While stress exists, this is an important time of the year to savor. November is a month for giving thanks for what we have been blessed with. So try to take things slow, and cherish more time with the family. 
November is when I begin to get really excited for the holidays. I am simply looking forward to traveling to see the family, as well as, decorating our home for Christmas and all of the activities that surrounds it. Christmas music and movies will soon be played, cookies will be baked and cards will be sent out. It is all quickly approaching us. 

Here are my goals for November:
Communicate with my Merry & Bright Gift Swap partner. If you have yet to hear about this amazing gift swap opportunity, click here and hurry and sign-up. You have until Nov. 15th to do so.
Bake a homemade pie for Thanksgiving. For a while now, I have wanted to learn how to make a pie from scratch. I feel as if it is my wifely duty to learn how to do so. For Thanksgiving, I am attempting to make  a Salted Caramel Apple Pie (recipe here). We shall see how it goes. 
Visit the tree farm and find the perfect tree. I have always wanted a real tree and this is the year we are going to make it happen. We will visit a local tree farm in hopes of finding a gorgeous tree. 
Start the 21 day fix. This will be my second go at the 21 day fix. It is important to me that I stay healthy and somewhat active, this 21 day plan makes sure that I can accomplish just that. 
Complete some service hours at local organizations. The college that I attend, requires that service hours are completed upon graduation. I am looking forward to volunteering at a few local animal shelters.
Finish my research proposal. As a psych major, this research proposal is a big deal. It is important that I nail this. 
Find a photographer for our Christmas cards. This is my first Christmas as being a wife and my husband and I are starting a tradition of taking photographs for Christmas cards. I am beyond looking forward to this. I already have a few ideas in mind. 
Begin decorating for Christmas. We begin decorating immediately after Thanksgiving. There are many projects to be tackled in order to create a cozy home for the holidays. 

What are you aiming at accomplishing this month?


November 3, 2014

Meet a Blogger Monday: Featuring Michelle

What is your occupation? If you are attending school and do not work, what is your
major? During the day, I work in TV promotions in NYC. At night, I blog!

Where is your hometown located and what do you love about it?
I live on Long Island, just under an hour outside of NYC. I love the location because of the small town feel, but the ability to go into the big city for work or play.

List any hobbies/talents you possess.
During the summer, I love spending all of my free time at the beach. During the winter, I am an avid hockey fan - I LOVE the New York Rangers.

How would you define your personal style?
My personal style recipe is one part classic, one part trendy, with a pop of color. I love to pair items that others may not think to wear together. I love to color block, mix patterns and textures, etc.

Tell me a little bit about your blog (e.g. name, genre, etc.)
I write a personal style blog, Michelle’s Pa(i)ge - a pun on my own name, Michelle Paige :)

How did start blogging and how long have you been a blogger?
I began blogging only about 6 months ago. I spend so much time commuting to and from NYC each day; this became a creative outlet, a way to spend my train time, & a place to share my style & personal styling tips with others.

How do you find inspiration for your blog?
I find inspiration everywhere. From the streets of NYC, to magazines, to celebrities to other bloggers. There are outfit ideas all over.

What do you ultimately hope to accomplish through blogging?
Everyone has to get dressed in the morning. My goal is to make it a little more fun for people. I get inspired daily by fashion bloggers that I follow & I hope to inspire others with my own style posts.

What is your favorite fall fashion staple?
This season it’s felt hats & booties. Rag & Bone makes great options of both, but if you don’t have that type of budget, Forever 21 is my favorite for hats & Sam Edelman has great booties!

Apple Cider or Hot Cocoa?
Hot Cocoa! - with marshmallows & hot chocolate :)

How do like to style plaid?
I love that plaid is a trend this season that can literally be worn by everyone. You can do a little, with a scarf or a shoe, or a lot, with a dress or coat. Plaid comes in so many color patterns & looks great paired with just about everything; I can’t get enough!

How do you celebrate fall (e.g. pumpkin carving, visiting the pumpkin patch, etc.)
Since the weather gets colder during this time and I spend more time indoors, the amount of baking that I do increases. There’s nothing better than the sweet smell of baked goods in a kitchen. My favorite fall recipes are apple crumb & pumpkin butter bars!

Visit Michelle's blog at: http://michellespaige.blogspot.com

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